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Our new Batman series is finally here but this time it's centered around a young James Gordon, years before the caped crusader shows up. Along for the ride will be a young Bruce Wayne, some familiar villains and hopefully a few surprises. If you haven't already, check out the special sneak peek posted below…

It reveals something interesting about James Gordon and his relationship to Gotham City and touches on what looks to be a new twist to his relationship to his future wife Barbara, something that could only be covered with a TV show like this. Looks like we'll be getting a lot that you couldn't do with a two-hour movie actually, and unlike other origin pieces, Gotham doesn't appear to need a lot of filler. With a lot of villains getting their start, there's a lot to explore that won't seem contrived. I still have some concerns about that though. I hope that Catwoman and Bruce Wayne don't end up feeling shoehorned in.

Then there's the city itself. The special covers that the most and talks about how New York has been augmented through CGI to have that timeless gothic look. Ben McKenzie is happy to be shooting there and can't imagine the show being shot anywhere else. He'll have to swallow those words when season 2 rolls around and production moves to Vancouver. I kid. Maybe. The show looks expensive and it'll needs its ratings if it's to keep things up or not get cancelled.

For the second year in a row, the Television Critics Association is betting on a superhero show. The TCA named Fox’s Gotham, which focuses on the origin stories of Commissioner Gordon and Batman’s legendary foes, the “most promising” new show of the fall TV season.

In the inaugural poll last year, the TCA named Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.— another show that’s not actually about superheroes but is set in a superhero world—the most promising. - Entertainment Weekly

Ben McKenzie and Donal Logue Respond to "Gotham" Critics

What the actors and series executive producer Bruno Heller probably were not anticipating was the reaction of some critics, that "Gotham's" pilot is essentially a grim cop show missing the key element that makes this particular universe special: its headliner, Batman.

For the record, this writer disagrees with that assessment. Sure, the pilot isn’t perfect, but I found it to be true to the Batman universe and would confidently recommend it to fans of the Dark Knight. A full review of "Gotham" will post closer to its premiere at 8pm on Monday, September 22. In the meantime, I sat down with McKenzie and Logue at the Beverly Hilton earlier this week to find out what they thought about a few early and very vocal critical reactions to the pilot.

In what is believed to be the first SVOD deal for a broadcast series made before its premiere, Netflix has reached an agreement with Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution for the upcoming Fox drama series Gotham. Each season of the series will be available to Netflix members following their broadcast run. In the U.S. that is expected to be in September 2015, coinciding with the potential Season 2 premiere. Noone is discussing figures, but I hear the deal is worth about $1.75 million an episode in the U.S.. Read more.

This is easily one of my most anticipated new series. I love the Batman world, and this looks like a really interesting new take on his villains and supporting characters. I haven't had a chance to check out that BTS special, but I hope to eventually.

__________________
They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance. - Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites

I think Donal Logue makes a good point, in that there shouldn't be the same frustration of knowing there's a Batman out there that we can just never see, unlike on Agents of SHIELD or the old Birds of Prey series, where you knew those superheroes were out there and couldn't help but constantly wonder why they never showed up.

And unlike those critics, I actually really like the idea of it being essentially a grim cop show set within the crazy world of Gotham. Seems like actually a pretty cool idea to me.

__________________“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States...The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge'.” - Isaac Asimov

I think Donal Logue makes a good point, in that there shouldn't be the same frustration of knowing there's a Batman out there that we can just never see, unlike on Agents of SHIELD or the old Birds of Prey series, where you knew those superheroes were out there and couldn't help but constantly wonder why they never showed up.

Well, in Birds of Prey, Batman had basically undergone an emotional breakdown due to the death of Selina Kyle (who in that continuity was the mother of his daughter) and the shooting of Barbara Gordon, so he'd given up the cowl and left Gotham (or New Gotham, as it was called). So Bruce was still out there somewhere, but it was explained why Batman wasn't in play anymore.

And unlike those critics, I actually really like the idea of it being essentially a grim cop show set within the crazy world of Gotham. Seems like actually a pretty cool idea to me.

It could be -- and it's been done in the comics as Gotham Central, a series that Gotham is clearly influenced by, given its inclusion of Crispus Allen and Renee Montoya in the cast. I just hope they don't overdo the "Here's the origin of a future Batman rogue" trope every week, but allow the show to be simply the adventures of Jim Gordon, with occasional foreshadowing.

The problem with Birds of Prey was not the premise, it was the writing and tone of the entire series. I have full expectations that Gotham will disappoint in every way, but like with Arrow will be very pleased if I am wrong.

The problem with Birds of Prey was not the premise, it was the writing and tone of the entire series. I have full expectations that Gotham will disappoint in every way, but like with Arrow will be very pleased if I am wrong.

Birds of prey gets a bad rap.

Every one forgets that it gets a bump for making Harley Quinn the big bad.

The problem with Birds of Prey was not the premise, it was the writing and tone of the entire series. I have full expectations that Gotham will disappoint in every way, but like with Arrow will be very pleased if I am wrong.

Birds of prey gets a bad rap.

Every one forgets that it gets a bump for making Harley Quinn the big bad.

Yes, Mia Sara had some of the best moments of the show. It has been a few years, but I seem to remember the show started to find its footing after a bumpy beginning (mentioned in my previous post), but had already been cancelled. I should mention that I really liked the entire female cast.

The main thing that makes this series worth watching is the cast, though that might only be true on a rather shallow level: to wit, all the women in the show are quite beautiful. I suppose Shemar Moore is rather good-looking too if your tastes run toward men. As for the acting, it’s a little more uneven. Dina Meyer is the standout; she’s a fantastic Barbara/Oracle, the best thing about the series by far. Mia Sara, playing very much against her usual type, does an excellent job as a version of Harley Quinn who’s more mature, menacing, and high-functioning than the Harley of Batman: The Animated Series and later the comics, but still has recognizable traces of Harley’s accent and her zany style of psychopathy. Ian Abercrombie makes a fantastic Alfred. [Rachel] Skarsten and Moore are just okay; Skarsten has improved greatly as an actress, and become significantly hotter, in the decade since she did this show (she was 17 at the time), and it’s been interesting to contrast her work on BoP with her current appearances in the third season of Lost Girl.

The greatest casting failure of this show, and perhaps part of the reason for its quick cancellation, is Ashley Scott as Helena/Huntress. She’s certainly nice to look at, but not a very strong actress (at least not at the time she did this series) and a rather poor choice for the part. Helena is supposed to be the daughter of Batman and Catwoman, and should be as impressive as they are. She’s intended to be feral, aggressive, driven, morally ambiguous, and embittered by tragedy — basically a distaff Wolverine. But as played by Scott, she comes off more as snarky, playful, kittenish, and pouty. I don’t know, maybe that was largely what the network wanted — again, I get the feeling they were looking for another Charmed and thus pushed for a similar tone. But it just didn’t fit what the character was supposed to be. And Scott simply didn’t have enough substance to carry the show as its nominal lead (yes, she got first billing), or to be convincing as Batman’s heir.